Abstract: An IGBT is disclosed which separated into two groups (first and second IGBT portioZenerns). First and second Zener diodes each composed of series-connected Zener diode parts are disposed so as to correspond to the groups respectively. Each of the first and second Zener diodes has an anode side connected to a corresponding one of first and second polysilicon gate wirings, and a cathode side connected to an emitter electrode. Temperature dependence of a forward voltage drop of each of first and second Zener diodes is used for reducing a gate voltage of a group rising in temperature to throttle a current flowing in the group and reduce the temperature of the group to thereby attain equalization of the temperature distribution in a surface of a chip. In this manner, it is possible to provide an MOS type semiconductor device in which equalization of the temperature distribution in a surface of a chip or among chips can be attained.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide a high-voltage semiconductor device and a high voltage integrated circuit device while minimizing or eliminating the need for the addition of back surface steps. Aspects of the invention provide a high-voltage semiconductor device that achieves, low voltage driving and quick response by way of stable high voltage wiring and a low ON voltage. In some aspects of the invention, a high-voltage semiconductor device can include a semiconductor layer is formed on a support substrate interposing an embedded oxide film therebetween. A high potential side second stage transistor and a low potential side first stage transistor surrounding the second stage transistor are formed on the surface region of the semiconductor layer. The source electrode of the second stage transistor is connected to the drain electrode of the first stage transistor. A drain electrode of the second stage transistor is connected to a drain pad.

Abstract: The inverter device includes an IGBT bridge circuit, a drive block which has an upper arm photocoupler and a lower arm photocoupler, and a control block including a CPU which generates gate signals and supplies them to the photocouplers . The control block includes an upper arm shutdown circuit and lower arm shutdown circuit which individually shutdown the gate signals of the upper arm and lower arm IGBTs in accordance with shutdown signals input from the exterior, and the shutdown circuits carry out a shutdown operation in accordance with the shutdown signals, which have mutually inverted logics.

Abstract: A semiconductor device which can prevent a deterioration in the electrical properties by preventing sputters generated by laser welding from adhering to a circuit pattern or a semiconductor chip and a method for fabricating such a semiconductor device are provided. A connection conductor is bonded to a copper foil formed over a ceramic by a solder and resin is injected to a level lower than a top of the connection conductor. Laser welding is then performed. After that, resin is injected. This prevents sputters generated by the laser welding from adhering to a circuit pattern or a semiconductor chip. As a result, a deterioration in the electrical properties can be prevented.

Abstract: A gate drive device which can suppress the fluctuation of an internal power source voltage and output voltage, while reducing the number of parts by omitting a bypass capacitor connected in parallel with a semiconductor integrated circuit, is provided. The gate drive device drives the gate of an active element with a large input capacity, such as an IGBT or MOSFET, and includes a semiconductor integrated circuit. The semiconductor integrated circuit has an internal power source based on an external power source, such as a battery. The semiconductor integrated circuit incorporates a voltage drop suppressing circuit, configured so that, if an input external power source voltage momentarily drops below a minimum operating voltage, a drop of an internal power source voltage below the minimum operating voltage, and a sharp drop in a voltage output to the gate, are prevented by the voltage drop suppressing circuit.

Abstract: An insulated gate silicon carbide semiconductor device is provided having small on-resistance in a structure obtained by combining the SIT and MOSFET structures having normally-off operation. The device includes an n? semiconductor layer on an SiC n+ substrate, a p-type base region and highly doped p-region both buried in the layer, a trench from the semiconductor layer surface to the p-base region, an n+ first source region in the surface of a p-type base region at the bottom of the trench, a p-type channel region in the surface of the sidewall of the trench, one end of which contacts the first source region, a gate electrode contacting the trench-side surface of the channel region via a gate insulating film, and a source electrode contacting the trench-side surface of the gate electrode via an interlayer insulating film and contacting the exposed first source region and p-base region at the bottom of the trench.

Abstract: A power conversion circuit converting DC electric power into AC electric power and sending the AC power to an inductive load, includes a first switching device connected to the positive pole side of the DC power supply to exhibit a conductive state and an interrupted state of a current; a second switching device connected to the negative pole side of the DC power supply to exhibit a conductive state and an interrupted state of the current; a first inductor provided between the first switching device and the inductive load; a second inductor provided between the second switching device and the inductive load; and a clamping diode connected between a first connection point between the first switching device and the first inductor, and a second connection point between the second switching device and the second inductor. Thus, conduction is provided from the second connection point to the first connection point.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having high reliability and high load short circuit withstand capability while maintaining a low ON resistance is provided, by using a WBG semiconductor as a switching element of an inverter circuit. In the semiconductor device for application to a switching element of an inverter circuit, a band gap of a semiconductor material is wider than that of silicon, a circuit that limits a current when a main transistor is short circuited is provided, and the main transistor that mainly serves to pass a current, a sensing transistor that is connected in parallel to the main transistor and detects a microcurrent proportional to a current flowing in the main transistor, and a lateral MOSFET that controls a gate of the main transistor on the basis of an output of the sensing transistor are formed on the same semiconductor.

Abstract: A switching power supply that can suppress output variation at a time of transition of a control mode from a non-linear control mode to a linear control mode. The switching power supply includes instruction value forming circuitry that forms, in a linear control mode, a linear control instruction value for linearly control a switching circuit based on an error of an output voltage, and forms, in a non-linear control mode, a non-linear control instruction value for non-linearly control the switching circuit. The instruction value forming circuitry predicts, in the non-linear control mode, a linear control instruction value suited to the load current in the non-linear control mode, and uses the predicted linear control instruction value for an initial value of the linear control instruction value at a time of transition from the non-linear control mode to the linear control mode.

Abstract: A power converter directly converting an AC voltage into an AC voltage of any desired magnitude and frequency by turning bidirectional switches ON and OFF without employing any energy buffer, where the peak values of output phase voltage command values are limited, to bring the amplitude of an output line voltage to, at most, 0.866 times the amplitude of the supply line voltages. By way of example, the peak-value limit of the output phase voltage command values is set so that the maximum value of the output phase voltage command values becomes, at most, 0.75 times the maximum value of supply phase voltages, while the minimum value thereof becomes, at least, 0.75 times the minimum value of the supply phase voltages. This control method for the direct power converter dispenses with an expensive dedicated motor, and permits a reduction in cost of the control apparatus as a whole.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof uses a semiconductor substrate of silicon carbide. On one principal surface side of the substrate, at its central section, a layer of silicon carbide or gallium nitride as a semiconductor layer having the thickness at least necessary for breakdown voltage blocking is epitaxially grown or formed from part of the substrate. A recess is formed in the other principal surface side of substrate at a position facing the central section. A supporting section surrounds the bottom of the recess and provides the side face of the recess. The recess is formed by processing such as dry etching. The semiconductor device, even though the semiconductor substrate is made thinner for the realization of small on-resistance, can maintain the strength of the semiconductor substrate capable of reducing occurrence of a wafer cracking during the manufacturing process.

Abstract: A monitor part performs monitoring by detecting contamination on a lower surface of an article to be inspected based on a lower surface detection signal, detecting contamination on an upper surface of the article based on an upper surface detection signal, detecting contamination on a front surface of the article based on a front, lower surface detection signal and a front, upper surface detection signal, detecting contamination on a rear surface of the article based on a rear, lower surface detection signal and a rear, upper surface detection signal, detecting contamination on a left surface of the article based on a left, lower surface detection signal and a left, upper surface detection signal, and detecting contamination on a right surface of the article based on a right, lower surface detection signal and a right, upper surface detection signal.

Abstract: A high breakdown voltage semiconductor device, in which a semiconductor layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate across a dielectric layer, includes a drain layer on the semiconductor layer, a buffer layer formed so as to envelop the drain layer, a source layer, separated from the drain layer, and formed so as to surround a periphery thereof, a well layer formed so as to envelop the source layer, and a gate electrode formed across a gate insulating film on the semiconductor layer, wherein the planar shape of the drain layer 113 and buffer layer is a non-continuous or continuous ring.

Abstract: In producing a semiconductor device, a solder alloy is prepared to contain antimony in a range of from 3 to 5 wt %, a trace amount of germanium, and a balance of tin. An insulative substrate having conductor patterns on both surfaces thereof is prepared, and a heat sink plate is mounted on a back surface of the insulative substrate by a soldering process using the solder alloy at a temperature ranging from 310 C.° to 320 C.° in a hydrogen reducing furnace. A semiconductor chip is mounted on a front surface of the insulative substrate.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter includes a series circuit of a main switch and a choke coil and an output capacitor connected to one end of the series circuit and outputs a DC voltage from the one end of the series circuit. A first MOS transistor is connected in parallel to the series circuit and a second MOS transistor is connected in parallel to the output capacitor. A control circuit controls the gate voltages of the first MOS transistor and/or the second MOS transistor so that the first MOS transistor and/or the second MOS transistor outputs a changed target output voltage, whereby the output voltage is made equal to the target voltage at high speed.

Abstract: A combined semiconductor rectifying device includes PN-junction silicon diode and Schottky barrier diode exhibiting a breakdown voltage higher than the breakdown voltage of PN-junction silicon diode, and Schottky barrier diode is made of a semiconductor, the band gap thereof is wider than the band gap of silicon. The combined semiconductor rectifying device exhibits a shortened reverse recovery time, low reverse leakage current characteristics and a high breakdown voltage, and is used advantageously in an electric power converter.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor element includes implanting ions of a dopant having a large diffusion coefficient into a semiconductor to provide a doped layer; and irradiating the doped layer with a plurality of pulsed laser beams supplied by a plurality of laser irradiation devices to activate the doped layer and provide an activated doped layer. The activated doped layer may be one of a single doped layer or a plurality of successive doped layers which each have respective conduction types that are one of identical or different. Device breakage and failure of the manufactured semiconductor element due to heat induced during laser irradiation are substantially prevented by this method.

Abstract: A power converting device includes a main body having a heat producing part housed therein, a fan case having a cooling fan therein for cooling the heat producing part provided in the main body, and a housing portion in the main body which houses the fan case. The fan case and the housing portion are interconnected so that the fan case is pivotally attached to and detached from the housing portion.

Abstract: A switching power supply has a full-wave AC rectifier circuit; a chopper circuit including an inductor, a capacitor smoothing current from the inductor, and a switching device for on-off control of the current fed to the capacitor. The rectifier circuit further has an input voltage detector circuit detecting chopper circuit input voltage; an output voltage error detector circuit detecting an error between an output voltage from the chopper circuit and a set voltage; a current control signal generator circuit generating a current control signal in-phase with an input voltage detection signal having a waveform similar to the input voltage detection signal and an amplitude proportional to an output voltage error signal; a current detector circuit detecting inductor current flow; a frequency setting circuit; an oscillator circuit; and a switching control circuit switching the switching device based on oscillation circuit signal, the current control signal, and the current detection signal.

Abstract: An entirely integrated EMI filter is based on a flexible multi-layer strip material. An EE or EI core comprises two side pillars and one middle pillar and forms a closed magnetic circuit. The middle pillar has an air gap. A first winding and a second winding respectively are wound around the two side pillars in a same winding direction. The middle pillar is wound with a third winding and a fourth winding, or with only a fifth winding. Passive components (e.g., all passive components) of the EMI filter are integrated into one core so that in its differential mode, insertion loss is significantly reduced, the size and volume are reduced, and the distribution constant of the EMI filter has less impact on the filter's performance.